'Grease's' Kenickie, Jeff Conaway, dead at 60; 'Taxi' and 'Babylon 5' star taken off life support

Jeff Conaway's struggle has ended. The 60-year-old actor passed away on Friday, May 27, after spending 16 days in a coma.

He was found unconscious on May 11, suffering from pneumonia and sepsis, as well as a rumored drug overdose.

On Thursday, his family removed his feeding tube after doctors advised them that he had no remaining brain function. His ventilator was also turned off.

Conaway was born October 5, 1950, and he made his Broadway debut at two years old. After a tumultuous childhood, he attended the North Carolina School of the Arts.

He was best known for his role as Kenickie in 1978's "Grease," where co-star Olivia Newton-John introduced him to her sister, Rona, who would be his wife from 1980-1985.

From 1978 to 1981 Conaway starred as Wheeler on "Taxi," a role that earned him a Golden Globe nomination. He was ultimately written off of the show when his drug addiction impacted production.

Substance abuse problems plagued Conaway throughout his life. In the late 1980s, he sought treatment and spoke candidly about his struggles with addiction.

He experienced a career revival in 1994 when he was cast as Sergeant Zack Allen on "Babylon 5." He played the role on four seasons and in three TV movies.

In the mid-2000s, Conaway again fell victim to his addictions, and in early 2008 he began a treatment program in VH1's "Celebrity Rehab" with Dr. Drew Pinsky. He revealed that he had been physically and sexually abused as a child, and that his addiction to drugs began when he injured his back filming the famous "Greased Lightning" scene from "Grease."